


001

by JJH



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Other, its soft stan hours y'all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-08 00:23:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19095964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJH/pseuds/JJH
Summary: Despite being a bad friend, he always has your back.





	001

            This week has been a rollercoaster for you, bad days one after another without rest, but you rolled with the punches life swung your way. School has always been important to your family, and you understood its importance. You couldn’t remember the number of times your mother has told you that all she could really offer you was a good education. She’s done so much for the family, sacrificed her time and sleep for their comfort that you felt you owed it to her to do well so that she could finally rest easy. Such an ambition has led you to stretch yourself thin among your responsibilities from school, student organizations, and work—causing your few relationships to suffer as a result. You’ve put school before others so many times, that your friends barely come around anymore, something which you understand but doesn’t hurt any less. There was only so much a person could take before feeling defeated. Today was that day for you, unfortunately—the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

 

            “I think we both need a little space right now.”

 

            There’s a ringing in your ears that grew louder than the bustling student life around you in the little café you frequented together. This place which was a safe haven away from your troubles at home, where you two met, and where you two got together—was sullied by this single, heartbreaking moment.

           

            “What do you mean we need space? Have I done something wrong?” You ask. Your boyfriend has always been the exception to everything, which hasn’t always been a good thing according to your friends. They told you numerous times that if you gave him an inch, he would take a mile if he could. And realization is slowly dawning on you that this might be one of these moments they foretold when you confessed he always flaked on dates to hang out with his friends. “This isn’t about us at all is it? It’s just about you.”

 

            “What?” He’s startled, hand stilling against his americano as he finally looks at you as if he’s seeing you for the first time.

 

            “Just say you want to break up instead of making me break up with you,” you say hastily, hands trembling on your lap as you finally break down. All the stress from school, work, and family are hitting you all at once as you unload the emotional baggage you’ve been left with carrying this relationship alone. “You really are a fucking coward. Mark was right.”

 

            “Can you stop mentioning Mark every time we have an argument?” He hisses, expression darkening as he watches you pack your things to leave. “It’s all you ever did and have done you know.”

 

            “I grew up with him,” you reply with a roll of your eyes. You’re exasperated, but at the same time you know it’s true. Mark Lee and you have history, but not the kind of history your now ex-boyfriend is trying to imply. “We’ve been friends since we were babies, our families know each other. Stop looking for something that isn’t there. It ain’t that deep.”

 

            “But you have to realize how this looks to other people!” He raises his voice, talking over you like he’s always done to make you feel small and inconsequential. It’s something you allowed him to do, but not anymore.

 

            “I never cared about what people thought because it never mattered to me. But clearly the opinions of others matter more to you than mine,” you leave him without so much as a backward glance. Much to your displeasure, he follows you out the café, making a grab for your arm but was stopped short by the devil himself.

 

            “Dude,” Mark greets him, smiling despite the firm grip he had on the other’s wrist. “Don’t treat her like that. Just go before you make yourself out to be a bigger dumbass than usual.”

 

            Your former boyfriend tears his hand out of Mark’s grip, and with a final glare at the both of you, he exits your life. Your gaze turns towards your best friend, who has yet to look at you. The awkward atmosphere between you hurts—you have always been conjoined at the hip when you were younger. What had changed to create this chasm between you?

           

            “Long time no see,” Mark says, fidgeting awkwardly in place. “How’s it been?”

 

            “Shitty,” you reply, matching his body language. “Yanno, the usual. School, work, just dumped my boyfriend. Kinda realized what a dick I was to you guys when I put him and school first. Friends shouldn’t have to choose; they should make time.”      

 

            “Okay, okay,” your best friend elongates his favorite word with barely contained glee. “Finally realized, huh? I’d like to be the first person to say, ‘I told you so.’”

 

            “Shut up!” You hiss, thankful that the awkwardness between you two slowly began to dissipate the more you spoke with each other. You turn your back on him, walking away to hide your shame. He follows after as you knew he would, bumping his shoulder into yours.

 

            “Look, I get it. I actually get it,” Mark speaks up again after a while. “We all know how important school is to you. But you gotta live a little. Don’t spend all your time worrying because before you know it—all this? It’ll be, like, over. It’ll just pass you by without you realizing it. And that…that sucks. So, live your life, school isn’t everything, and shouldn’t be the only thing that matters.”

 

            You stop in your tracks and turn to him, invading his space to wrap your arms around him. It takes him a moment to realize what’s happened, but like he always does, he reciprocates. It feels like coming home, this familiar warmth you’re soon enveloped in. His arms aren't constrictive around you, they’re more of a cradle, supportive and gentle. Mark Lee has always taken good care of you, even when you were little. What did you ever do to deserve his friendship? In this moment, you're certain that you must have saved a country in your previous life. 

With his hands hovering over your shoulder and the small of your back, you tighten your arms around him, turning your head upward to brace your chin over his shoulder. His chest reverberates with laughter—something you feel more than hear. A little part of you wonders if what your former love said was true, but you banish that thought before you could think harder about it. You don’t want to ruin any more good things in your life by thinking they’re deeper than they really are.

 

            Releasing him from your hold, you give him a smile—a true one. “Mark Lee saying something inspirational for once. Will wonders ever cease?”

 

**Author's Note:**

> for my baby lion lys


End file.
